- Not The Only One!
- Post# 73
- 06 Apr 23
- ” Not Like That “
- Howdy!
- Thanks again for checking in. I had set down and was working on one called “CEO”, maybe I will get it out next time . This one is called “not like that”, and it’s all about going at it the wrong way. Sometimes we find things or someone who works out for a season. Sometimes we know that going in, and at other times it blindside us, much like finding out that you have been selected for an IRS audit of your taxes, what? ,wait no! Your kidding, right? ☺️So, Sometimes the things that hit us out of nowhere are accompanied with panic, anxiety, and questions of , what the hell did I do to deserve that?. I’m not a karma guy, but sometimes it is self inflicted and yes, sometimes we receive help from others, before we can say no thank you, I’m just fine at making my own messes ☺️☺️. I often wish that when we are getting ready to do something on the not so smart side, that it would be clearly marked, like a sign on a one way street, or even better one of those red signs that says ” Do not enter “, or danger a head. And yes, I know that there is a percentage of us who are always willing to roll the dice and take our chances at whatever it may be. It could be the person who thinks that they can get across the tracks before the train comes, maybe they do, or may be they will be front page news. ☺️I said sometimes we find somethings that works for a season. I think back to when my son was much younger and I use to take him to the driving range with me, and he use to tee off on a golf ball like it was a hockey puck. If you have ever seen that old Adam Sandler’s movie ” Happy Gilmore “, it was much like that. I told him as he got bigger and taller that it wouldn’t work so well for him. There is a discipline mechanics to a good golf swing, and sure enough as he got older, he discovered that he couldn’t drive the ball as far as he did when he was both younger and smaller. That’s an illustration of ” Not That Way” . There are other times that we find something that works for us the majority of the time, and we just decide to shrug our shoulders for the sometimes that we miss on. This one may sound a bit crazy or off, but as a general rule, I don’t usually follow recipes. I really don’t have a good reason for this, but I have a rational behind my thinking. First up, I’m from a large family, so I was raised with my mom experimenting with different things to stretch the meals out and make it go further, so you can say that it made an impression on me. My other thought is somewhat prideful, but I know what tastes good, or at least what sounds like it would be good, so I actually know better than the recipes. I have had much success doctoring things up, and my few failures, I just chalk up to a learning experience and the next time try a little of this, and not so much of that. ☺️I keep everything in my head, so there is no great family recipe book to pass down to the next generation. This is a odd funny one for you, so we sometimes forget about the fact that our kids watch us, more so than listening to us. My daughter took much the same path as her mother and she decided that she was going to marry a man who would cook for her, true story. Ok, so my daughter, the mother of three boys, never cooked, or found herself in the kitchen, unless it was to steal a taste of something or to peak over her husband’s shoulder. So, she found herself having to learn to cook, , that’s right, you guessed it, when Covid hit☺️☺️. She has proven to be a quick study and I have come to respect her culinary skills, but guess what?, that’s right, she doesn’t follow recipes either ☺️☺️. It frustrates her husband who is an avid rule follower, but he’s a good egg, and has learned to adjust to the new normal, just like all the rest of us. One final little kicker before moving on, for those of you who are wondering about consistency with meals, basically there is none, we shoot for delicious, and since variety is the spice of life, you get just that variety, with variances of a little sweet, a little spicy, a little tart, a little dry or moist, but you get the picture ☺️☺️. Let’s switch gears, just a little, and look at when ” Not That Way” , is an option, but not usually the best one. There are obvious lessons that we just know are wrong, like what if you put on your shoes on first and then attempted to put your socks over the outside of the shoe, goofy, right?? There have been other things that have had an off putting effect, such as knowing my ex wife’s love language, and refusing to deliver on demand, no, not one of my best moments, but that is where we found ourselves. I wonder if there has ever just been a time in Your life, where you learned something incorrectly. It could be how to tie a neck tie, there are roughly thirteen different knots for a neck tie, so it could be easy to get one a little crazy. I mean if you know one, run with it. I just spoke about my take on recipes, so did I pick up a bad habit from my mother?, who knows! So, in the real world there are things that we can absolutely one hundred percent of the time be complicit in, but there are also those things that we could be a little ignorant on, and just not want to admit it. Years ago, I had a contemporary by the name of Artist , and he use to have this saying about bathroom lawyers. He would talk about his kids, but almost anyone’s kids could and would apply. He would try to council his son on some particular points in life , and yet his years of living and wisdom meant absolutely nothing when stacked up against one of his kids friends of the same age. They would gather in the bathroom at school, and court would be in session, and another child could undo, and undermine any good parental training. I think that court room session was called the blind leading the blind ☺️☺️. I mean if you are a responsible parent, there are just certain truths that you want your kids to get the proper understanding of . I mean think about it , if another virgin, just like your kid, is all of sudden a PHD in all of the nuances of sexuality. This could be the kid telling your kid that you can’t get pregnant your first time out… SURPRISE!!. , welcome to parenthood. So , definitely, ” Not Like That ” There are just an endless supply of ” Not like that” , that we encounter in life, and whether it is something that is a common misconceptions, something that we learned incorrectly, or something that we are just completely clueless about, there has to be a better way , instead of just a bunch of trial and error. I think back to how many things that I find myself saying to my kids, that once a long time ago, were taught to me by my parents. It could be something as simple as look both ways before crossing the street, or something a little bit more complex, such as about dating, or what to look for in a job offer before signing an offer letter. No, matter, there is just something about the wisdom of those who have gone before us…..only if we would pay attention, listen, but more importantly execute. If I may, I would like to draw a few comparisons to “Not Like That “. I believe that every one has been gifted in some way, sadly, many never fully recognize those gifts and use them to their full potential. I say that because some people’s supreme gift is intelligence. Two blanket statements, which means there are exceptions. Some of the most highly intelligent people, do some of the most not so smart things, yes dumb things . Secondly, some people are just to smart for their own good. Now, on the surface, that may sound like an oxymoron, but we have all met people who just can’t get out of their own way. This brings us to a crucial point that much of what follows hinges on. There is a difference between knowledge or intelligence and wisdom, can we agree on that? Knowledge is the knowing of something and wisdom is the ability to be able to put it into practice, or apply it to your life. Knowledge says that cigarette smoking causes cancer, wisdom is the ability to quit or not do that. Knowledge says that seat belts saves lives, wisdom is to click it when you get into an automobile. Knowledge says that you shouldn’t talk behind someone’s back, and wisdom tells you that it will separate close friends. One more before lighting the fire and fanning the flames. Knowledge tells us that we shouldn’t get caught at anything that we know is not above board, or a little bit shady, and wisdom yells , don’t do the crime, if you aren’t prepared to do the time. These are in no particular order, just as they pop into my head. First one up is “forgiveness ” . We have all been wronged at some point in life, and we have all been on the other side of that equation as well. I will be the first to admit that this is something much easier said than done. I also want to say that forgiveness is not a one time event, but more so a process, depending on what has been done to you. You may be gracious and forgive someone, and then a little bit down the road, something may trigger that event again in your head , and you will have to forgive that person all over again, so it can very much be a process. Knowledge will tell you that you have the right to hold a grudge, depending on what it is, that may be backed up by a jury or a judge . Wisdom says to forgive and let it go, because if you don’t, it has the potential to consume you and to make You a bitter and angry person. I have made mention before about letting people living rent free in your head. Sometimes people are even unaware that they have somehow offended you or hurt your feelings. I had a friend many years ago, who’s mother was killed in armed robbery of a convenience store. The suspect was high on drugs, not condoning, but painting a picture, however, over the next forty years, every time there was a parole hearing, she would drive or travel some twelve hundred miles to voice her concerns about that person being released. And, yes, it consumed her and made her bitter, and even gave her a jaded perspective against a whole race of people. So, in addition to bitter and angry, probably a little confused as well if you think that you can judge a whole race of people, based on one non functioning individual. I’m not going to leave you there, we have witnessed the other side as well. I think back to a few years ago, when the police busted into the wrong house and shot and killed an innocent person. I saw family members, make open statements of forgiveness and went one further and ask the courts to show leniency , when it came to sentencing of the officers, who made such a dire mistake. We ask ourselves, how do they do that,? and then we may pronounce that I could never do that, or perhaps I wish that I could, and I think that none of us may really know until we find ourselves in that situation or something similar. There was an illustration in the Bible of Peter asking Jesus, how many times he was supposed to forgive someone who had sinned against him. He thought that he was being super gracious by suggesting seven times seven, and then Jesus correct his thinking to a much larger number, to apply there is no end to the number of times that you forgive someone, and He has made His point by all of the times that He has forgiven us over and over again. If you are confessing believer and you are struggling with forgiveness, there is a clear possibility that you completely missed the point of the Cross. I realize that heinous things take place in our lives, sexual abuse, bad marriages, wayward children and the list goes on and on, but there is such freedom in not carrying all of that junk around with you. Perhaps you view it as your cross to bare, or perhaps not so much! I think that the next one is a little connected, and that is to love your enemies, and most of would probably think how ridiculous, I don’t have enemies, perhaps not, but we all know those people who are just a little to abrasive or some what like a porcupine☺️. We may not designate them as an enemy, but we aren’t to fond of them, and I’m sure as heck, not going out of my way for them. See this is where many of us want to apply ” the golden rule”. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, or treat people the way that You want to be treated. We tell ourselves that I stay out of their way, and that means that they need to back the hell up and stay out of my way. Don’t leave me hanging here, you know those people who you give the polite smile to, but yep, then talk about them behind their backs, and I think that we already covered that one☺️. God has an upside down Kingdom, and almost every point in life , we are a one eighty away from his kingdom. So , when we say treat others the way we want to be treated, we pick and choose each person based on how we feel about them, so if I stay clear of them, then they should return the favor. God says to just love people and to love them as You would yourself, so unless you are having some kind of weird out of body experience, you can’t stay clear of yourself….can we ? Here is another one for you. Knowledge tells you that no one has a right to disrespect you, and wisdom tells you that a soft answer turns away wrath. I always think about those instances of road rage. Someone cuts you off in traffic, somebody else flips someone the bird, and it just escalates from there, next thing you know horns are blowing and cuss words are flying, and there have been cases that have led to assaults on to someone’s person. What if we just chose to give a soft answer, such as I’m sorry and choose to de escalate the situation, instead of taking it to the next level, maybe arrive home or to your destination in one piece opposed to something that may require law enforcement intervention. In fact wisdom has a slew of practical life lessons, if we will just pay attention. Here’s another one for you, knowledge will tell you that you can afford that nice brand new car, with payments that use to be capped at sixty months are now being financed for eighty-four months or longer, who does that? Wisdom says maybe drive a hoopty for a while and save up to buy a nicer car. Wisdom actually says that the borrower is a slave to the lender and if you don’t believe that , just watch how fast that eagle on the American dollar can fly away☺️☺️. I’m not here to be your credit counselor, but I know how easy it is to get over extended, and to loose our way. Over two thousand years ago, there was a carpenter from Galilee and he was itinerary preacher , and if I asked You what He preached on more than anything else, you would probably guess, forgiveness, turn from your sins, or even that the kingdom of God has arrived, while all those things are true, but you would be incorrect, more than anything else He taught and talked about money, it was overwhelming, like almost ten times as much as anything else. This is where I get to hear from the cynics about churches wanting your money, nope, and wrong again! Jesus knew how divisive money can be and it can encourage us to make a bunch of bad decisions. Has there ever been a more true statement than we can’t serve two masters?. Hear my heart ,money is a mute point, it’s about how you choose to interact with it that makes all the difference in the world. If you were a butt hole, before you came into some funds, it just means that you will be a bigger one with more money, it has the potential to amplify the kind of person that you are, so if you were generous before then , you will probably be more generous after coming into some money. I need to wrap this up and I know that the last thing I talked about can be very continuous, but I dare say, that I believe very few of us handle money from a God’s perspective. You can take this next thing and consider it bonus material, but about ten years ago, I was introduced to something called FPU, ” Financial peace university “, it a course, from a financial expert named Dave Ramsey, the course blew my mind and was very eye opening. I believed in it so much that I paid both my kids a thousand dollars just to take the class. There are literally hundreds of more little life lessons that wisdom would win out over intelligence or knowledge. I only touched on a few and there is always or at least should be some take away or an Aha moment. I touched on God’s upside down Kingdom without really getting into it, but its all so counter cultural that most people just miss out on it all together. He who wants to be first, must be last. He who wants to be the greatest, must be the least. The mark of a great person is someone comes to serve and not be served. And of course the signature statement, he who tries to hold on to his life will loose it, and he who gives up his life for Christ sake will find it. They may sound like riddles on the surface, but it is the gateway to a changed life. Most things in life are built on some kind of a foundation, and that can be an organization, a marriage, to a boys scout troop. The foundation will determine a great many things, and hopefully most of them will point to success of some sort. That being said, take your knowledge and wisdom and remember that all of this begins with a healthy fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, as in it all comes from Him and that goes for your intelligence as well .
- Till Next Time ✌️ Peace!
- Sandy The Southerner
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